Engine starting mechanism



NOV. 23, 1937. J FlNNEGAN 2,099,804

. ENGINE STARTING MECHANISM Filed May 11, 1936 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 23, 1 937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Eclipse AviationCorporation,

East Orange,

N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 11, 1936, Serial No.79,202

'IClaims.

This invention relates to engine starting mechanisms, and moreparticularly to starters for engines of the internal combustion type.

An object is toprovide supplemental electrical I means for renderingstarting of the engine by a I A further object is to provide means ofthe foregoing character which shall continue to operate, for apredetermined interval after rotation 20 producing means has terminated.

Still another object of the invention is to provide novelinter-connected electrical means for operating both the ignitionfacilitating means and the rotation producing means.

25 Another object is to produce apparatus of the foregoing characterwhich is of relatively simple construction, easily manipulable, andpositive in its operation.

In the drawing:

, Figs. 1 and 2 are diagrams, partly schematic and partly mechanical, oftwo embodiments of the invention.

In Fig. 1 the mechanical cranking means is shown as including a flywheelconstituting an 35 inertia element, an electric motor 5 directlyconnectable to the flywheel shaft 1 to accelerate the flywheel, and anengine engaging member 8 automaticalLv meshable with the engine member 9by a time-delay screw mechanism I lrotatable with 40 shaft l2 andpreferably identical in structure, and

method of operation, with that illustrated in Patent No. 2,038,181granted to Raymond P. Lansing on April 21, 1936, and particularly inFig. 2 of said patent. The reduction gm train between flywheel 5 andscrew II is indicated diagrammatically at l3.

In both Figs. 1 and 2 there is indicated a circuit interrupting devicecommonly known as a vibrator, and means for actuating the said vibra- 50tor. Such yibrator, as shown in Fig. 1, contains a core or plunger I6adapted to be actuated by the creation of magnetic forces in the coil H,such coil consisting of the usual primary and secondary windings II andIs, the construction 55 being such that upon each interruption of thecircuit at the contacts 2| and 22, the resulting break-down of themagnetic field of the primary winding l8 causes the passage by inductionof a relatively high potential current through the secondary winding l9,thereby creating a jump-over 5 spark at the ignition points in theengine cylinder represented at 23 in the schematic drawing, such sparkbeing repeated at each vibration of the arm 24. The result is a seriesof rapidly repeated sparks, the vibrations being so rapid that the 10efl'ect is practically a. continuous spark for a length of timesuflicient to produce combustion of the charge in the engine cylinderand hence a. starting of the engine under its own power.

The novel means for causing the operation of the foregoing ignitionfacilitating means as a direct consequence of the operation of the motorenergizing means comprises an electric circuit to the vibrator,adapted'to be closed only in the event of, and in response to,energization of the inertia starter motor 6. As shown in Fig. 1 thiscondition of dependency, or cause and eifect, is achieved by interposinga pair of normally separated contacts 26 and'21 in the circuit from thesource to the vibrator coil II, the said contacts 26, 21 being bridgableby contact plate 28 only in the event of, and in response to, flow ofcurrent through the windings of inertia starting motor 6. The currentflowing through said motor 6 will also flow through solenoid winding 29on its way to w ground 3| and such flow is initiated by closure ofcontact plate 32 against contacts 33 and 34 of the motor circuit frombattery 20. Thiscontact plate 32 is insulatedly mounted on plunger 36within solenoid winding l4, and is normally held out of engagement-as isalso contact plate 28-by a spring 31 interposed between the adjacentends of plungers and 38, the latter being the movable core ofswitchsolenoid winding 28, previously described. A manually closableswitch 41 connects winding l4 with battery 20, when moved to engagecontacts 42, 43, from which it is'normally separated by spring 44.

Solenoid plunger 38 of Fig. 2 corresponds to plunger 3. of Fig. 1, andin each case it terminates in a piston 39 movable at a' slow rate withina dash-pot cylinder 4|, the rate of retardation being regulable byadjustment of valve 42'- in by-pass 43', connecting the two chambers, ofwhich the piston 39 constitutes the movable wall. A suitable retardingfluid occupies the chambers of the dash-pot, and its restricted flowback and forth retards movement of plunger 3!, and hence retards closureof contacts 26 and 21. Thus the moment of energization of vibrator coilH is adjustably delayed beyond the moment of first flow of currentthrough motor windings t (Fig. 1 or Fig. 2) and solenoid windings 29(Fig. 1 or Fig. 2); likewise (and due to the dash-pot action) there-opening of the switch (29 in Fig. 1; at in Fig. 2) is correspondinglydelayed beyond the moment of termination of flow of current through themotor 6.

In Fig. 2 such current flow occurs directly in response to closure 'ofswitch 5i, actuated by operating means which are preferably identicalwith those illustrated at 56, and dd to 6d inclusive, in the drawings ofPatent No. 15186 118 granted to Raymond P. Lansing on December 23, 1930,the said means also controlling the time of movement of the engineengaging member 3 into engagement with engine member a. The inertiastarter indicated diagrammatically at 4B in Fig. 2 may be identical withthat shown in detail in Fig. 1 of said Lansing Patent No. 1,786,118. Atension spring v l'l normally holds contact plate it out of contact withmembers it and 27 in Fig. 2.

The operation of the embodiment of Fig. 1-wi1l be apparent from thefollowing description of the Fig. 2 embodiment:

Describing a cycle of operation of the Fig. 2 I

embodiment, and beginning with the parts in the normal position shown inFig. 2, the operator will first thrust the plunger M inwardly, whereuponthe switch 5! is operated and the motor 6 and coil 29 are energized.

Energization of the motor 6 produces acceleration of the flywheel 5,while energization of the coil 29 (preferably of the type indicated atii in the Maurer Patent No. 1,909,415) produces a retarded descent ofthe bridging member dd into engagement with contact plates 26 and 21.When such engagement occurs current flows from the source 2i) throughthe bridging plate W to the ignition coils it and i9 and results inproduction of a plurality of sparks within the combustion chamber orchambers of the engine, to facilitate starting thereof as soon as theengine crankshaft begins to turn over; but this turning over, of course,does not begin until the operator draws the plunger Bl outwardlywhereupon the switch 5! will be permitted to open and the lever 63 whichhad heretofore remained in its normal position notwithstanding themovement of the plunger 6! inwardly, due to the pin and slotconstruction shown at 62 and 56 in the said Patent No. 1,786,118) willbe actuated against the tension of the spring til. As a result, the rod56 will be shifted longitudinally, thereby bringing the clutch jaws tand 9 into engagement. The engine member will thereby be rotated by theenergy stored in flywheel 5 and the engine will be cranked. When theengine operates under its own power, the driving member will beautomatically disengaged through the conventional screw action betweenthe screw shaft and nut (not shown) as in Patent No. 1,786,118.

During this cranking operation (with either the embodiment of Fig. 1 orFig. 2) booster coil it remains energized, due to the carry-over effectof dash-pot M upon the switch 48, which effect delays the re-opening ofthe switch for a predetermined interval after termination of currentflow through motor 6, the switch contacts 26 and 21 being elongated, asindicated, to permit this prolongation of the closed circuit condition.

It will be seen that, in each embodiment, energization of the vibrationcoil is a direct (alaoeaeoa though delayed) consequence of flow or"current through motor windings ii.

What is claimed is.:

1. The'combination with an inertia starting mechanism and clutch forstarting an engine by kinetic energy stored in said mechanism, ofignition current supply means including a source of current and aninduction coil for supplying ignition current to the engine, an electricmotor for energizing said inertia starting mechanism, an electromagnetcontrolling energization of said induction coil, and means for causingcurrent to how from said source to said motor and electromagnet insequence, prior to movement of said clutch to operative engine-startingposition.

2. The combination with an inertia starting mechanism and ignitioncurrent supply means including a source of current and an induction coilfor supplying ignition current to the engine, an electric motor forenergizing said inertia starting mechanism, an electromagnet controllingenergization of said induction coil, and means for causing current toflow from said source to said. motor and electromagnet in sequence.

3. The combination with an inertia starting mechanism and ignitioncurrent supply means including a source of current for supplyingignition current to the engine, an electric motor for energizing saidinertia starting mechanism, an electromagnet controlling operation ofsaid ignition current supply means, and means for causing current to howfrom said source to said motor and electromagnet in sequence.

4. The combination with an ignition current generator of a flywheel androtating means therefor including an electric motor, a source'ofcurrent, a circuit from said source to said motor, said circuitincluding a normally open switch, and means responsive to closure ofsaid switch to cause current to fiow from said source to said ignitioncurrent generator said last named means including an electromagneticallyactuated switch in series with said ignition current generator andclosable by the magnetic action resulting from flow of current throughsaid motor.

5. The combination with an ignition current generator of a flywheel androtating means therefor including an electric motor, a source ofcurrent, a circuit from said source to said motor, said circuitincluding a. normally open switch, and

means responsive to closure of said switch to cause current to flow fromsaid source to said ignition current generator said last named meansincluding an electromagnetically actuated switch in series with saidignition current generator and closable by the magnetic action resultingfrom flow of current through said motor and means for retarding theeffectiveness of said magnetic action to a predetermined degree.

6. The combination with an ignition current generator of a flywheel androtating means therefor including an electric motor, a source ofcurrent, a circuit from said source to said motor, said circuitincluding a normally open switch, and means responsive to closure ofsaid switch to cause current to flow from said source to said ignitioncurrent generator said last named means including an electromagneticallyactuated switch in series with said ignition current generator andclosable by the magnetic action resulting from flow of current throughsaid motor and means acting upon said second-named switch to open itafter cessation of saidcurrent flow.

7. The combination with an ignition current generator of a flywheel androtating means therefor including an electric motor, a. source ofcurrent, a circuit from said source to said motor, saidcircuit includinga normally open switch, and means responsive to closure of said switchto cause current to flow from said source to said ignition currentgenerator said last named means including an electromagneticallyactuated switch in series with said ignition current generator andclosable by the magnetic action resulting from flow of current throughsaid motor and means acting upon said second-named switch to open itafter cessationof said current flow and means for delaying theeflfectiveness of said lastnamed means for an interval of predeterminedlength.

MARTIN J. FINNEGAN.

